dial 911 to warn police. police responded within minutes. >> and they found the subject dead from a single gunshot wound to the head. >> reporter: the evidence left behind was chilling. >> we found some notes and some writings that indicated that this was a planned attack. >> reporter: police discovered a .22 caliber assault rifle and a .45 caliber pistol. sources tell us there were hundreds of rounds of ammunition and high capacity magazines, including a drum magazine similar to the type used in the colorado theater mass shooting last summer. diane, police discovered four suspected improvised explosive devices in a backpack, allegedly lined with shrapnel. who knows what kind of damage they could have done. >> pierre, tell me more about this student. anything else known about him, his motive, his background? >> reporter: all we know, he's a 30-year-old business major. so far, no indication he was receiving counseling on campus, and the motive is unclear tonight. diane? >> pierre thomas reporting in

from washington tonight, thank you, pierre. and also tonight, across 18 states, more than 88 million americans are hauling out the salt and the snowplows one more time, even though spring officially starts on wednesday. there are so many storm watches and blizzard watches out tonight. and so many of you sending out pictures like this, saying, really? more snow? really? so, we asked abc's meteorologist ginger zee to tell us if this unending winter means climate change is happening faster and faster. >> reporter: tonight, a blizzard is hammering the northern plains. messy highways in minnesota. high winds and whiteout conditions in north dakota. winter storm watches and warnings from virginia to maine. and there's a severe weather risk tonight. tornado watches and warnings already popping up. as the plows come out, millions of people put the boots back on for what may seem like the umpteenth time. spring officially arrives wednesday and it seems people are more ready than ever. >> it's kind of strange and

unusual. >> it's certainly a lot different than it used to be when i was a kid. >> march should not be this cold. >> reporter: but is it that unusual? we looked at the data. for the lower 48, most meteorological winters in the last ten years have been above average. this winter was almost two degrees above average, so not colder, but warmer. and when it comes to tornadoes, last year there were just over 900 confirmed, less than every year since 2003. but the one factor that is definitely more extreme in recent history, drought. at its peak, almost 62% of our country was in drought, reminiscent of the 1930s and the dust bowl. tonight, it's this nasty wintry mix that is blustery and everybody asking me, so, is it going to go away any time soon? i have some bad news and people are probably going to be throwing snowballs here at me in central park. look at this graphic. it shows you where the cold air will stay, this is the next two weeks. the warm track to the south. plenty of canadian cool settling in.

diane? >> a nation awaiting spring. thank you, ginger. and at the vatican today, the new pope sat down with a former adversary. the first head of state he met with. a woman, who once called his views medieval. a woman who won a victory over his fierce opposition. and tonight, abc's ron claiborne shows us the meeting between the pope and the president of argentina. >> reporter: on one side, the new hugely popular pope. on the other, his old nemesis, the president of his native argentina. today, they sat together like old friends. cristina kirchner stands for a new view of a changing world -- embracing gay marriage, sex education in schools, free contraceptives in hospitals. but when he was a cardinal in argentina, kirchner described his social views as medieval. with his humble words and informal style, pope francis has become enormously popular in just a few days. what the world is just beginning to learn is how conservative he is on social issues.

>> the world is probably going to have a bit of a wakeup call, when the pope starts speaking about hot button issues. >> reporter: he often clashed with kirchner over legalizing gay marriage, calling it, "the devil's handiwork." he called gay adoption "discrimination against children." and he's denounced abortion as promoting a "culture of death." but the powerful catholic strongholds of argentina and brazil are becoming more progressive. gay marriage is now legal, contraception readily available. threatening to put the popular new pope on a collision course with changing opinions in a part of the world where the church needs to grow. ron claiborne, abc news, rome. >> and we want you to know that abc news will have live coverage of the inaugural ceremony of pope francis tomorrow, about 3:50 a.m. eastern time. and here at home, on the topic, some groundbreaking news in our new abc news/"washington

post" poll. a decisive majority of americans now support gay marriage. take a look at the change here over a decade. in 2004, only 32% of people supported gay marriage. today, 58% do. and look at this. 81% of americans under 30. and today, another big voice endorsed gay marriage. former secretary of state hillary clinton. >> to deny the opportunity to any of our daughters and sons, solely on the basis of who they are and who they love, is to deny them the chance to live up to their own god-given potential. >> secretary clinton weighing in. and now, we turn to major news for millions of women in america on screening for breast cancer. a new study today revealed 60% of abnormal mammograms turn out to be false positives, not cancer at all. even though they can lead to biopsies, even surgery. and abc's cynthia mcfadden takes us into the reality of that

experience. >> reporter: judy valencia says she never missed a mammogram appointment. >> my sister had breast cancer, my mother had breast cancer and my three aunts also had breast cancer. >> reporter: three years ago, her mammogram detected an anomaly and a biopsy revealed she had cancer. judy decided to remove both breasts. >> i just wanted it to be done. i didn't want to have to worry. >> reporter: but judy says she couldn't get paperwork from the hospital for her insurance, so, she hired a lawyer. he sent judy's original biopsy for a second opinion from a leading expert at the mt. sinai medical center in new york. in dr. bleiweiss' opinion, judy never had breast cancer. >> i went to the lawyer. and he said, "you are cancer free. you have no cancer. you never had cancer." >> reporter: sadly, judy is not alone. dr. bleiweiss says, ironically, as mammograms are better able to detect smaller and smaller lesions, it is often more difficult to make an accurate cancer diagnosis.

in a study released today, 60% of abnormal mammograms turned out not to be breast cancer. and most of those mammograms are followed by a biopsy, also not always black and white. one estimate revealed that as many as 4% of breast biopsies are misread. that's as many as 10,000 women in a year. so, this is a tough one. >> yes. >> reporter: why? >> because the changes are very subtle. >> reporter: every pathologist, even every trained pathologist might not see this the same way. >> that's correct. >> reporter: judy valencia's second opinion came too late, but she says she's telling her story in hopes that others will learn from her ordeal. cynthia mcfadden, abc news, new york. >> and i want to bring in abc's chief medical editor dr. richard besser now. rich, what about this, a second opinion, second opinion, second opinion? >> reporter: i mean, it's really hard, but i think this is one of the most important things you can do, with whatever serious illness you have.

it's to ask this question. say to your doctor, before we go forward with any treatment, let's get a second opinion. and is there someone you can refer me to? the best doctors are going to welcome another set of eyes, another way of looking at it. at what's going on with you. >> the minute you get the worrying call about a mammogram, you go in? >> reporter: when you get that worrying call about the mammogram, it's -- hopefully they had the conversation ahead of time to say, look, if your mammogram is positive, we're going to need to do a biopsy and other things and then we'll see what's going on with your health. >> right, but remember these statistics if you get that call. it does not necessarily mean cancer. >> reporter: it does not mean cancer. >> okay, thank you, rich. and now, tonight, a new question out of the dramatic court case in ohio. two high school football players, the assault of a young girl. and pictures passed around. but tonight, this question. how wide is the circle of responsibility and does it include adults who should have done more? abc's elizabeth vargas is with the ohio attorney general tonight. >> reporter: the rape case that turned the spotlight on

steubenville, ohio, didn't end with a conviction of the two promising young football players. trent mays was sentenced to at least two years in juvenile detention. ma'lik richmond, at least one year. he walked over to apologize to the victim's family. >> i'm sorry to put you guys through this. >> reporter: but today, ohio attorney general mike dewine told me he's convening a grand jury to see if others should now be charged. where are the adults? where are the parents? >> the whole story as we've unravelled it and learned it is just very disturbing. where were the parents? where were her friends? where were the witnesses that we brought into court? what were they thinking? why did they allow this to occur? >> reporter: the widening circle of those who could be held accountable include the homeowners of the house where the rape took place. football coaches and school officials who may have been aware of the assault. and other teens attending the party, who could all be charged for failing to report a felony. the story began last august,

after a night of wild partying, when this online picture of ma'lik richmond and trent mays carrying the apparently unconscious 16-year-old victim by her arms and legs, came to light. a fire storm erupted. in an exclusive interview before the trial, ma'lik told me the photograph was staged. it was a joke picture? >> yes, ma'am. >> reporter: but in the five-day trial, prosecutors proved that the 16-year-old girl was drunk and unable to consent. text messages, videos and photos taken that night showed she was, quote, treated like a toy. steubenville is now taking a cold, hard look at itself and asking, are others responsible, too? elizabeth vargas, abc news, ohio. >> and you can see more from the court case and elizabeth's reporting in ohio on "20/20" friday night. and still ahead here on "world news," 11 plane crashes just this weekend? 11 small planes?

from a parking lot to a crowded neighborhood, we take to the sky to ask, why is this happening? it's not what you think. it's a phoenix with 4 wheels. it's a hawk with night vision goggles. it's marching to the beat of a different drum. and where beauty meets brains. it's big ideas with smaller footprints. and knowing there's always more in the world to see. it's the all-new lincoln mkz. of mild to moderate alzheimer's disease is exelon patch. now with more treatment options, exelon patch may improve overall function and cognition. your loved one can get a free 30-day trial. and you can have access to nurses.

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>> reporter: my plane is stalled at 3,000 feet. it's entering a death spiral. too often for private pilots, their final view of earth. the first time a pilot is in a spin is when they're in trouble. >> yes. typically, it will be the last thing they ever see. >> reporter: sometimes they do get lucky, like this idaho pilot who walked away when his plane stalled into the tree tops. just this weekend, there were nine fatalities in 11 small plane crashes nationwide. this one into a house in south bend, indiana, killing two. another in ft. lauderdale, killing three. all are under investigation. >> when we see crashes in aviation, 97% of those fatalities occur in general aviation. >> reporter: there are more private pilots in the air now than ever before. small planes average five accidents a day, nearly 500 americans die in small planes each year. >> frankly, almost all of these accidents are preventable.

>> reporter: private pilots don't get the training they need to recover from emergency. says the spin doctor, rich stoll. how many have you done? >> more than 33,000. >> reporter: he teaches private pilots like me to overcome panic and human instinct to survive straight stall. barrel rolls caused by high wind or turbulence. whoa. and that deadly spin towards the ground. whoa, baby. >> i usually tell people, the first thousand spins are the hardest. >> reporter: for pilots, the most difficult lesson is to resist the temptation to pull up when the plane stalls, instead, pushing the controls toward the ground. >> we have to replace that survival instinct with the brain telling the body, no, you have to do this and you have to do that. >> reporter: experience that few of the 220,000 american private pilots today actually have. jim avila, abc news, santa paula, california. and still ahead here

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with nearly $500 million in paintings. rembrandt, degas, vermeer. well, today, the fbi says they have tracked the crooks to a new england crime organization, but there is a catch. the statute of limitations has run out. so, the criminals can basically continue to crack open their bottles of champagne. and who knew the queen of england loves to play a kind of trick on guests? we found out about it in a new documentary, listen. >> where you have hidden it this time? >> it's fairly easy to see, isn't it? >> they're always mystified when i say, it's perfectly all right, just speak. >> we have learned that the queen likes a hidden microphone stashed on the table. this time, in a flower arrangement. so, before a dinner at buckingham palace, if she gives a quick speech, she gets surprised looks from the guests as her voice suddenly booms through the room. a little royal mischief. the documentary, by the way, is

called "our queen." and now, to some spectacular northern exposure. primetime for the northern lights. putting on a show tonight. take a look at the pictures taken from the skies over alaska and northern minnesota. streaks of orange, purple, green, swirling, dancing, making up the aurora borealis. the unromantic description is a geomall net geomagnetic storm of electrically-charged particles slamming into the earth's atmosphere. and coming up next right here, the ancient bible is the new hot property in hollywood. can you guess which stars now want to play noah and moses or pontius pilate? conservative.

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and a ch to and a change to note tonight. we think of hollywood is on the hunt for a new computer monster or a car chase. so, how is it there are now seven new movies about to star noah or moses or pontius pilate? well, first take a look at the giant success of the tv mini series on the bible. and here's abc's nick watt. >> i believe your son is the promised king of his people. what is his name? >> jesus. >> reporter: "the bible," the tv show, not the book, is today's hot topic around the water coolers here at the calvary community church in los angeles. >> we do watch it with the actual bible and follow along with the story. >> he'll say to me, did that really happen? i said, well, check it in the bible. >> reporter: this mini series is a dramatization of the bible's greatest stories, produced by reality tv guru mark burnett and his actress wife, roma downey. >> change the world. >> reporter: its success largely due to the one quarter of americans who identify

themselves as evangelical christians. pastors have been promoting the show from their pulpit. >> to get people to actually want to open god's word, the bible, and begin to understand it. >> reporter: at least seven other biblical movies are in the works right now. russell crowe is playing noah. >> talking to russell crowe the other night and roma was laughing, saying -- >> our arc is bigger than your arc. >> reporter: christian bale apparently set to play moses. and there's talk brad pitt might take on the role of pontius pilate. >> i will crush any rebellion. >> reporter: with "the bible" and everything else to come, hollywood is now chasing the christian dollar. but as one believer just told me, the word of god is written. he didn't leave us a youtube clip. the book, they say, will always be better than the movie. nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> and thank you for watching this monday night. "nightline" at its new time, 12:35 a.m. eastern. and i'll see you again tomorrow night. good night.

when i first got back from afghanistan, i knew i wanted to be involved in television and film. but i just didn't know how i'm going to get there. so, when abc news introduced the mentorship program to me, i was thrilled. meeting tom hanks was surreal. it helped me realize that when you serve your country, you don't tend to think about having civilians serve you. shows like "world news" with diane sawyer are helping veterans fulfill their dreams. abc news opened doors for me and a local official admits using tax money. tonight the one thing kept him out of prison. >> a management makeover at police headquarters. opd brass gets new responsibilities in the fight against crime. >> a step in california high speed rail project. the state can now proceed to

borrow another $8 billion to build it. >> live on bart. to gauge reaction to letting bikes on board. >> he served the south bay as a county supervisor. he broke public trust. now, destined to serve time for the crimes committed. >> former santa clara county supervisor pleaded guilty today to charges of misusing taxpayer money. prosecutors say crimes were driven by gambling. vic lee is live with the latest. vic? >> this was the rise and fall of a popular politician. a second generation county supervisor took over his father's seat when he died. his gamble addiction got the better of him. tonight, today, his nightmare

ended here at this court house. the disgraced former supervisor made no statements in court, never showed emotion, appearing with just his lawyer. no entourage. he stood before the judge as he read list of charges against him, he pled guilty to each of the counts. he also pleaded guilty for seven misdemeanors. the 58-year-old is accused of using taxpayer mb money and donations as a personal piggy bank. prosecutors say he used a county card to pay pay for gambling expenses to vegas. hotel suites. part of the deal, he resigned

from the board of supervisors and could have received eight years for his crimes but prosecuters only asking for a year in county jail. he owes the state $50,000. he's paid back 7,000. he left the court house without saying anything. >> the prosecutor explained why she only asked for a year in jail rather than a long prison sentence. >> weney knew he's going to step down z wanted to end the nightmare. we agreed to a year in county jail. >>' greed never to run for office again. >> let's all hope for a much cleaner government. the best for santa clara county. it's a sad day when a supervisor come hz in and pleads guilty to 12 crimes. >> there is a surprise, his